


Everywhere Is Somewhere, In This Town

by dudeihavenoaccent



Category: Rooster Teeth/Achievement Hunter RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe- Cab Driver, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-04-16
Updated: 2015-07-14
Packaged: 2018-03-23 07:32:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 6,269
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3759820
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dudeihavenoaccent/pseuds/dudeihavenoaccent
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Ryan loves working the night shift for Achievement Cab Co., meeting all the interesting people who are out and about late at night. One night, while driving along the city streets, he picks up a man getting off of work who makes pot jokes and wears video game t-shirts.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. You Ever Wonder Why We're Here?

Old stories filtered through the black box.

“...and so, get this, he says...”, a smooth voice laughed through the mesh of the radio.

It was so quiet in the nighttime. Darkness painted the night and the brick buildings, shadows only visible because of the cartoonish yellow light sprayed from the cab's headlights. There were a few people out and about, but they either had somewhere to be right away, or nowhere to be for a very, very long time. Neon open signs were littered sporadically through the commercial block, convenience stores and mediocre Thai restaurants the pinnacles of late night economy.

“That's bullshit, it was only four beers,” Geoff corrected, the dispatcher attempting to set the record straight, “and besides, you'd already downed like five by that point, so in what way, shape, or form are you a reliable storyteller?”.

Ryan chuckled to himself, amused at the banter taking place between the mustached go-between and his thickly bearded fellow driver over the radio. When he started working for Achievement Cab Co., he had specifically asked to work night shifts, knowing that any other person in their right mind would try their best to steer clear of it. Ryan preferred the late night, it was always in such a peaceful state of awake, it fascinated him to no end.

Jack sighed contentedly over the speaker.

“Whatever you say, old man.”.

As Geoff went off on him again, Ryan let his eyes rest from their alert contortion, and allowed his muscles to relax, so as not to become stiff. He glanced at the clock, and saw he still had a few hours left of his shift. While he did enjoy the late night and early morning, it did take its toll on him, and he was beginning to become tired from lack of mental activity. In his more comfortable state, he almost missed seeing the hand waving him down from up the street.

He quickly regained focus, pulling up to stop in front of the figure. The person opened the back right door, and the dome light flooded the interior of the cab with white.

“Hey, how are ya?”, the man asked casually as he got situated in his seat, closing the door behind him as he turned to buckle his seat belt. His backpack was tossed onto the seat beside him, and his sweater clung to him tiredly.

“Fine, fine, you?” Ryan inquired. One of the reasons he asked for the night shift was because he enjoyed meeting the people who were up and about this late. He'd run into a few undesirables in the past, but he was a tall, broad boy from Georgia, and he knew how to handle himself when his passengers were a bit on the rowdy side. The man in question seemed to be more... lighthearted, than the usual crowd he dealt with. It was a refreshing change of pace, and Ryan half-smiled in appreciation.

“Doing alright. Can you take me to Champlain and Roderick?”

“Mhmm, I can at that.”

They began the long drive into the concrete jungle.

Ryan's passenger was not overly fond of silence.

“Busy night?” he asked, permeating the still air.

“Eh, not too bad. Thursday's aren't typically bustling, ya know?”

“Haha, I bet.”

Believing it to be the end of their short-lived communication, Ryan solemnly attempted to focus on the long ride. His efforts were futile.

“Man, they tore down the laundromat? For shame.”

Ryan glanced out the window, interested. The remains of a building sat in a lot between a convenience store and a 24hr pizzeria; despite the constant blinking of the open sign, he had no desire to grab a slice.

“I think it burned down, actually,” Ryan breathed, “like two months ago. I remember a friend of mine telling me.” He recalled the time when Jack had told him, distraught, that the laundromat beside his favourite pizza place had fallen victim to faulty wiring. He would have to venture for a Meat Lover's on his own accord, from that point on.

“Probably left a joint burning in the back. Blazed too hard,” the passenger theorized.

A light chuckle escaped Ryan's lips before he considered what the man said.

“I was told it was an electrical fire.”.

“Oh, you can be sure it was electric- if they left a doobie burning long enough for it to start a fire, you can be damn sure that shit was good,” he laughed.

Ryan couldn't help but smile, slightly. He found it difficult to not find humour in the man's words. It was as if there was a Rolodex of concepts spinning in his head. The thought pleased Ryan- the stranger thought outside the box, a quality he found fascinating and endearing.

Comforting quiet surrounded them for a few minutes. The man spoke again.

“You ever, like...” he sighed, “wonder why we're here?”

The question took Ryan aback; he pondered what kind of response to give for a moment, before his mouth began to move and sound began to flow from his lips without his knowing.

“It’s one of life’s great mysteries isn't it,” Ryan began, “why are we here? I mean, are we the product of some cosmic coincidence, or is there really a God watching everything? You know, with a plan for us and stuff. To be honest, I really don’t know what I believe, man, but it keeps me up at night.”

They slowed for a red light as they approached an intersection. Fluorescent blue blinked onto the street from a flashing sign.

“...what? I meant why we're here, in this city, of all places in the world to be?” the man revealed, a laugh beginning to form in his breath.

Ryan blushed profusely as he realized his error.

“Oh, no, haha, I just, I dunno, I was joki-,” he began, but was cut off by his passenger's infectious laugh.

“Dude, you are out of here, man, I'm into how you're thinking,” the man told him, “outside the box kinda mindset, I can appreciate that.”.

Mouth slightly open as he processed the information, Ryan was unsure of how to react. He had completely embarrassed himself in front of a stranger, but the man seemed to take in stride; he seemed to enjoy Ryan's thought process. The driver smiled lightly in response.

“T-thank you, I'm a fan of your mindset as well,” Ryan said, “pot jokes and all.”.

He looked in the mirror at the man, fully taking him in for the first time.

He had a black beard, short but full. Square frame glasses rested on the bridge of his nose. He wore a dark beanie over his short, black hair. His tan skin disappeared under his Halo t-shirt and purple hoodie. Faded jeans lead the way to what Ryan could only guess were a pair of a sneakers, just out of his view. He was very handsome, small wrinkles under his tired eyes and smile communicating how beat he must be after the long day.

“Coming from work?” Ryan asked of him.

“Yeah, I run deliveries. Busy day, picked up some overtime. Didn't expect it to get so hot this afternoon, though, I can tell ya that. Feels good not to wear that sweaty ass uniform.”

Learning about the stranger pleased Ryan- he was such a lighthearted fellow, and it brought him joy to more fully understand him.

“I bet, yeah. When I started my shift, I was praying for the AC to be working. Wasn't as strong as I would've liked, but it started cooling down about an hour into work.”.

“That's pretty sweet. Oh hey, right up here,” the passenger pointed forward to the spot in front of a convenience store.

“Need some bread for lunch tomorrow.” he said, as he reached into his pocket to get his wallet.

“Solid plan.” Ryan laughed, turning to face his passenger.

As the dome light flickered on, Ryan saw more clearly the definition of the man's face, his full cheeks and bushy eyebrows. The stranger reached his hand out to him.

“Make it twenty five,” he began, “you're an interesting conversationalist. It's been fun, man. I'll see ya around. Thanks for the ride.”

With that, he smiled, nodded his head, grabbed his bag, and opened the door. Into the illuminated spot between cab and corner store, Ryan watched as the man pulled his backpack over his right shoulder. His face fell, slightly.

He stuffed the cash away, turned off the light, and pulled out from the curb.

Ryan thought of the man's contagious grin as he drove back towards the depot, anxious to end his shift and return home to sleep. The peaceful state of awake that encompassed the early morning sang to him as he opened the window. He drove into the night that snaked through the urban streets.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed the first chapter of this humble little fic, I plan to update soon! Thank you for reading<3


	2. Viagra and Car Trouble

Huffing laughter breathed into the cab of the truck.

“For God's sake, Ray, you're gonna get fucking stabbed if you keep talking to people like that,” the freckled, auburn curled driver half-sighed, half-chuckled, “I mean, I get your humor, but do you think some tired old shit is gonna find it funny when you tell him 'I'm here to deliver your Viagra, I'm sure your wife will be just as disappointed'?”

Ray's small eyes wrinkled at their seams as he laughed wholeheartedly.

“Really? Laughing at your own joke?”

“Hey, I thought it was pretty good.”

“No shit,” Michael grinned, pulling out from the curb.

The midday sun beat down on the hood of the white truck, rivers of blinding, white light swimming in the depressions of the metal cover. The sidewalks were cluttered with children playing hopscotch and Animal Crossing after the tedium of the school day. Ray smiled at the sight of cheerful youth.

He turned to face his friend.

“So we're still on for Destiny tonight, right? I wanna finish this raid and be done with it.”

“Ah, shit,” Michael began, “I meant to tell you. My car fucked itself last night so I took it to a mechanic this morning, he was talking all this shit about having to replace a bunch of stuff because it was so corroded or something, I have to deal with that bullshit after work... which also means I'm not gonna be able to drive you home tonight. Sorry bro.” He flashed Ray a brief expression of apology before focusing on the road again, guilt still visible in his brow line.

Thankfully for his worrying psyche, Ray took the information in stride.

“Nah, don't worry about it man, you gotta do what you gotta do. Just don't get fucked by that grease monkey, they're crafty. Dude's probably lying anyhow, trying to get a couple more bucks outta ya.”

“Probably, I dunno, I'll deal with it, I guess. I just feel shitty about not being able to drive you home tonight, it's screwing with you on such short notice.”

“It's fine yo, I'll just take the train downtown and then catch a cab or something. Maybe walk, the only time I ever go out is work and food anyways. Then again, outside...” Ray shuttered in jest, earning a smirk from Michael.

“Alright, I'll pay you the difference over Taco Bell or something next week.”

“Sounds like a hell of a plan.”

With a fist bump and two grins, they kept on their way to make their rounds for the day.

 

* * *

 

Rain hit the roof of the train like a machine gun breaking into the air. Water splattered the pavement of the street below, and roaring whirlpools decorated the curbs at the storm drains. Ray ran from the train to the cover of the platform roof to shield himself from the cold bullet shells drooling from the clouds. Grabbing his phone, he called the office of salvation.

“Achievement Cab Co., this is Geoff speaking, how can I help you tonight?”

“Hey, can I get a taxi for the Lovell train station?”

“Absolutely, it's on its way, sir.”

“Thanks, have a good night. Bye.”

“You too, bye.”

Ray made his way down the steps to the street, taking refuge under the underside of the metal staircase. The rain was heavier now, and the mist was thick. Light blue neon lights could be seen in the direction of downtown, bars and clubs a plenty advertising to all the no ones out and about.

With the raid out of the question and no new episodes of anything out tonight, Ray settled on playing a few games of Black Ops 2 while he enjoyed his mac n' cheese; a winning plan for an evening, if ever there was one. As he began to think about what game mode he wanted to start with, he heard the sound of an engine approaching. Turning and readjusting his bag on shoulder, he walked slowly towards the approaching cab, suddenly moving quickly to get inside while he was pelted by the merciless rain drops.

“Hey there,” he said, “how ya doing?”

“Not too bad, not too bad, yourself?”

“Apart from the rain, doing alright. Can you take me to 636 Roderick Avenue? It's just a bit past Champlain.”

“Sure, sounds good.” With that, they began their trek into what could only be described as a resurfaced Atlantis.

Ryan checked out his passenger in the mirror, noting the dampness of his hoodie.

“Get caught in the downpour, huh? It's coming down hard tonight.”

“Yeah, it's pretty shit right now. Took the train in from the other side of the city, started pouring on the way here. All I need after a long day, haha.”

“What d'ya do?”

“Wha- oh, I do deliveries. Brown truck, cargo shorts and cap, sign here and drive there kinda gig.”

“Sounds like a hell of a time.”

“What about you?”

“What about me?”

“What do you do?”

Ryan regarded the question for a short moment, taken aback. He smiled at the sarcasm.

“I'm actually a professional bull rider, very well-known in the industry.”

Ray let out a burst of a laugh, making Ryan smile.

“So ya had a long day?” Ryan inquired.

“Haha, yeah, you could say that. Some people are just stick-in-the-muds, can't take good jokes.”

“No one's got thick skin, anymore.”  
  
“Exactly! I'm not saying you can't call someone out on their bullshit, but learn to take a joke when it's just someone poking fun at you.”

“Was someone a bit... aggressive, towards your style of comedy?”

“Just a yelling and swearing kinda guy. Couldn't take a Viagra joke, among others.”  
  
“Few can, but I guess his screaming is the only kind he hears if he needs Viagra.”

Ray's laugh infected the air again like a neon bacteria, Ryan chuckling to himself.

“You're a pretty funny guy, man,” Ray told him, “I'm digging your humor man, I'm into how you're thinking.”

“Thanks, it's taken years of practice. Long nights and all that. Say, uh, you seem kinda familiar.. have I driven you before?”

“Probably. I don't usually take cabs, my friend from work drives me home most of the time. His car fucked up or something, and his mechanic was telling him he needed to pay all these extra fees because his parts were super rusted, or something like that. Total bullshit. But no, yeah, you've probably given me a lift at some point, you seem kinda familiar yourself.”

“Yeah, that's what I was thinking. Sorry to hear about your friend's car, though. You know what's wrong with it?”

“Nah, he just said something about parts being corroded. His mechanic's a major asshole though, last time he went in to see what was going on with his motor, the dude charged him for a bunch of other shit that he didn't even ask for.”

Ray huffed in disagreement with his friend's situation.

“That's tough... ya know, uh, if he didn't wanna deal with that stuff, you could tell him to come by the depot. We could get one of our guys to check it out, only charge him if they do any actual work.”

“Really? Dude that's pretty rad of you. If it's putting you out, don't worry about it, though.”

“It should probably be fine, it'd probably only take a couple of hours. He gets work done cheap, one of our mechanics makes a couple extra bucks, everyone wins.”

“Wow. That is like, majorly kind of you man. I didn't even get your name, shit, my bad. You're already offering my friend auto help and I don't know your name, haha,” both Ray and Ryan chuckled, “well howdy, I'm Ray.”

Ryan looked back to smile at him.

“Ryan. Pleasure to make your acquaintance.”

Genuine warmth rested in the space between their eyes, as they waited at a red light. The light shone green, and Ryan turned back around. They drove for half a minute before they pulled up to the curb in front of a well-worn apartment building.

“Hey, thanks man,” Ray began as he pulled cash from his wallet, “for the ride and the conversation. You totally revitalized me for a night of Call of Duty and mac n' cheese.”

“Hey, same goes for me, man. I'mma head back to drop off the cab and then go home and play some Destiny, gotta farm tonight.” Ryan pulled out a blank card and a pen and began to write his phone number.  
  
“Man I feel you on the farming, it's a fucking drag, aha.”

Ryan handed him the card.

“This is my number, you can text me if your friend is interested in letting us take a look at his car,” Ryan said, a small smile on his lips.

Ray took the card with a grin.

“I'll do so, thanks man. Well again, thanks for the ride and the conversation,” Ray handed him payment for their journey, “you have a good night, Ryan. Take it easy.”

As he grabbed his bag and walked out into the misty afterglow of the storm, Ryan checked he cash in his hand before rolling down his window and moving to position himself better.

“Hey, you gave me ten bucks extra!”

“It's a thank you for the good talk,” Ray smiled. Ryan reciprocated, nodded his head, and pulled out from the curb, turning around and heading back the way he came.

Mist from the storm settled over the pavement as the cab drove into the distance.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, sorry it took so long to update. I went on a study trip for a few days and then my computer was out of commission for a few days. But I cracked this out in about day, and I plan to write the next few chapters over the next week. I hope you enjoyed, thanks for reading!


	3. Is It Everything You Hoped For?

“So you're sure this guy's okay with it?”

“Yeah dude, he's the one who offered. Don't worry about it, he seems pretty chill, funny too.”

“You think everyone's chill.”

“And you don't think anyone's chill, and that's why we make a good team.”

Clad in blue jeans and a purple hoodie, Ray led his apprehensive friend from the parking lot towards the front of the cab depot. It had been two days since Ryan had offered to have one of the company's mechanics take a look at Michael's car, and the two had been texting regularly the entire time. After they made plans for he and Michael to drop by before noon on Saturday, Ryan messaged Ray a picture of his television, displaying his acquisition of an exotic sniper rifle after farming in Destiny. This began what might be referenced to in generations to come as “the nerdiest conversation of all time”, overflowing with excitement about upcoming FPS's, fanboying over Daredevil, and getting pumped up for the next Star Wars film. They spoke late into the night, Ryan replying in between passengers and Ray in between Call of Duty matches.

The two friends turned the corner to see a tall, broad man with golden-brown hair reading something on his phone. Ray slowed slightly, taking in for the first time the sight of his late night correspondent in the full light. He had only seen his face in the light of passing street lights a few days before, and now the bright, morning sun gave full definition to his jawline, stubble decorating his chin and cheeks.

Ryan looked up and smiled at the two warmly; he put away his phone and began to walk towards them.

Ray regained his composure and nudged his nervous friend.

“That's him,” he said, walking toward him, “come on.”

The three met in front of a small tree meant to bring a shade of green to contrast the red tones of the brick building.

Ray and Ryan shook hands, a half-awkwardness surrounding them.

“So uh, Michael, this is Ryan.”

Michael and Ryan smiled slightly at each other as they shook hands.

Introductions aside, Ryan gestured them inside.

“I'm not use to seeing this place with natural light coming in from the windows, I usually only see the street lights and the cop cars,” Ryan joked.

“Well I'm glad we could share in this experience with you.”

Ryan chuckled, leading them into a garage with high ceilings and blaring punk rock. A table sat near a small kitchenette, adorned with Diet Coke cans and empty McDonald's bags. At the end of the table sat a hulk of a man, bushy beard and septum piercing decorating what appeared to be soft features, brown hair dancing on his forehead.  
“Ray, Michael, this is Adam. He's one of our best mechanics, and he's gonna take a look at your car.”

Adam smiled at the two, and reached over the remnants of his lunch to shake each of their hands.

The mechanic looked to Michael, “Is your car out back? We can go take a look at it now and then try and get it in here.”

“Alright, yeah, it's in the back lot.”

Adam stood, grabbed his phone from the table, and walked around, ushering Michael to follow him back outside. Ryan turned to Ray, new found awkwardness traveling through his arteries. Ray took hold of the conversation.

“So, uh.. do you, like, wanna get a coffee or something while we wait?”

Ryan's slack jawed expression morphed into a wide grin, and he nodded in affirmation as they began the trek out of the garage and up the street to the nearest cafe.

* * *

 

“So how long you been driving?”

“About a year and a half or so. How long've you been driving?”

“I don't drive, Michael does; I navigate, because his GPS is total shit.”

A small smile that made the skin around his eyes crinkle formed on Ryan's mouth as he sipped his coffee. The pair sat across from each other beside a plate glass window in a coffee shop close to the depot. The sun shone through like streaks of iridescence, striking their saucers like laser beams. Ray looked out the window, studying the red brick buildings across the street.

It had only taken two cab rides and a lot of nerdy texting, and now Ray was sitting with someone he had never expected to meet. Was this how friends were made? Chance encounters? His closest friend was his partner from work, and further still from the social group he had been welcomed into at Michael’s insistence. Moreover, he had friends he met online, but apart from weekend gaming marathons he didn't get to spend much metaphysical time with them. And still, here he sat, in a comfortably warm cafe in the early morning of a Saturday, across from an individual he had known far less than any of his close friends. Ray felt no thick strings wrapped around his heart, no heavy emotional response for the man across from him, sipping at his coffee as he looked at the table between them awkwardly. Was this how friends were made? Or was he just an anarchist in the ordered world of relationships? Either way, his coffee was getting cold.

“So, uh, you from here? Austin, I mean?”

Ryan looked up at Ray, who was nibbling on his muffin, looking at him with expecting eyes.

“Nah, Florida- Miami. Moved here a few years ago, wanted a change of scenery. At one point I was getting so sick of everything, I went online and looked for any apartment out of Miami that was in my price range. I went through hundreds of listings until I found my place here. My dad used to live here with some friends when he was younger, and he always made it sound so cool. I thought maybe it could be the fresh change of pace I needed. That, or I'm headstrong and trusting and wanted to appeal to my growing desire for independence. Ah, youth.”

Ray smiled. Ryan had a way with words that made his stories deadpan and easy to listen to- he appreciated it.

“What about you?”

“New York, originally. Queens. Grew up there almost my whole life. When I graduated high school, I didn't know what I wanted to do. I was looking for work and looking at schools and trying to get a feeling for something, anything. I worked odd jobs for a year or two before I applied and ended up getting accepted to U of T. I went for not ever a year before I realized it just wasn't for me. So I dropped out and picked up some applications for anything I could find. Worked at Gamestop, a bar, a handful of other places before I got let go and signed up for this delivery assistant gig. Been working it for.. going on three years, now.”

“Is it everything you hoped for?”

“I've made friends here, I've got a job here, and I love Whataburger. I feel at home here, comfortable. I can't ask for anything more right now.”

Ryan smiled, nodding. There were an immeasurable number of contrasting differences between he and the man sitting across from him- however, there were also many similarities. They both loved video games, both geeked out over the same pop culture attractions, and both came to Austin in search of something more. Ryan had always liked to stick to what he knew- himself. Friends came and friends left, he adapted. When he came to Austin, he had little money and no connections. He was lucky he was a good driver and could stand being with people in silence, because it landed him a job with the cab company. Still, he had never held onto friends as long as he had here. Jack and Geoff had grown on him since he started working with them a few years ago. He felt genuinely happy with them, they brought out his smile. Ray did as well. He was always joking and would talk to Ryan about their mutual interests for hours. It was sweet, to know he was capable of making friends- if what he had with Ray could be called a friendship. Noting the intensity of such a quarreling quandary, Ryan resigned from the thought so as to enjoy what was left of the morning.

The two friends -or, whatever one would call them- drank their coffees in the quiet cafe up the street from the depot. They enjoyed the silence and each others presence. They let the morning pass them by in caffeine and the rising sun.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Remember that time I said I was gonna update more frequently? Yeaaaah, sorry about that. I've been having major writer's block lately. So -and don't hold me on this, because we've all seen how good I am with promises about writing- I will try my best to push through it and update more often from now on. A bit vague, I know, but it's the best I can offer right now. Thank you all for reading, and I hope you enjoyed the chapter! <3


	4. One of Us

Light laughter lingered in the air as Ray and Ryan walked towards the depot down the hill from the cafe. Early morning had faded into midday, noon creeping round the corner onto the backstreet. Continued conversation and an unspoken, mutual desire not to think too much about what this comradery, this acquaintanceship really was had sustained the pair in the coffee shop for almost an hour, and now their similar humor kept their communication constant. They entered into the building and made their way to the garage.

“Yo Michael, what's going on man?” Ray bellowed, leading Ryan to startle and a few other mechanics to stir from the underside of their cabs. Michael had his head neck deep in engine, watching as Adam twisted all forms of car worry out of his life with a socket wrench. The auburn curled man shot up, nearly hitting his head on the hood above. He smiled as he saw Ray and Ryan approaching.

“Hey Ray, I'm pretty sure he's almost done- this baby's about ready to purr, methinks.”

Ryan smiled wearily, turning to face Ray as Michael went back to studying the mechanic.

“Hey uh, I'm glad that we could help your friend out.”

Ray turned to him with a smile.

“Dude seriously, thanks so much, Michael's gonna be so happy when he doesn't have to stop off at the side of the road every twenty minutes. Ya gotta like let me repay you man.”

“Michael's already giving Adam some extra cash, I didn't do any work, I'm just glad everything actually worked out.”

“Awh come on man, you're the one who put this whole thing together. You've gotta at least give me your gamertag and I'll help you farm in Destiny or something, deal?”

Ryan smiled, a genuine grin forming across his lips.

“That much I can do.”

Ray let loose a toothy grin.

“Alright, I think that'll about do it!”

The pair looked over at the other two, Michael sliding into the driver's seat to see whether or not their efforts were futile.

All eyes drifted to the freckle speckled man turning key in ignition, waiting for a clink, a puff, anything.

Michael turned the key.

 

* * *

 

 

“FUCK!”

“Kerry, dude, relax, it's not that hard of a course.”

Blonde hair spun like a cyclone to the left to face the Jersey boy, fury swelling in his chipmunk cheeks.

From the kitchen, Ray could hear Michael and Kerry verbally duking it out in a vicious battle of flaring tempers- _Trials Fusion brings everyone together_ , Ray thought to himself.

Grabbing a bottle of Malta, he returned to the den of yells with a plate of pepperoni pizza.

“Guys, we're all friends here. Kerry, tell Michael you love him, Michael, tell Kerry you can stomach him, then sit down so we can play a fucking game.”

The bickers subsided as the two went to sit at their respective gaming stations. It was probably one of the better decisions Ray had had in the past while, for each of them to save up for a GAEM kit so they could play multiplayer but still hang out together.

“So are we gonna bring in a fourth?” Michael asked, turning to look at Ray.

“Sure, lemme see who's online.”

Ray scrolled down his friends list, trying to find anyone he knew might want to join them. Halfway through the B's, he stumbled upon someone who was already playing Destiny: BM Vagabond. Considering it thoughtfully, Ray decided to text him first, to see if he was actually up for it, and to check if he was AFK or not.

**_Ray: Hey man, some friends and I are gonna do the new raid, do you maybe wanna join?_ **

**_Ryan Haywood: Sure, just send me an invite._ **

**_Ray: Rad yo! Get your mic set up if you have one._ **

“Alright guys, we've got another player.”

Kerry purported his question while still staring at his screen: “Who?”

“Ryan.”

“Oh cool.” Kerry thought for a moment. “Who's Ryan?”

“Ryan, the cab driver?” Michael joined the conversation.

“Cab driver? What cab driver?” Turning to look at Ray, Kerry's confusion was evident in his eyes.

“He's a cab driver, picked me up a couple of times, but he got his friend to fix up Michael's car a couple of weeks ago. He loves video games and is pretty much into what we're into so, like, it works out well. If you guys don't wanna play with him, I can just tell him we're not playing right now?”

Kerry shrugged. “I don't got a problem with it.”

Ray turned to Michael.

“Dude's a nice guy, and you like him, so why the hell not?”

Ray smirked, and sent Ryan the invite to their party. Accepting a few moments later, his voice buzzed into their headsets.

“Uh, hello?”

“Yo, whatup man?”

“Oh ya know, killing alien monsters. The usual.”

Michael chuckled, Kerry laughed.

Ray smiled at the cohesion.

“Well, welcome to the crew then, Ry.” Michael breathed.

“One of us, one of us,” Kerry began to chant.

Ryan laughed into the mic.

“So let's get to it then!”


	5. We Should Do It More Often

_**Ray: Thanks for playing with us man, it was a good time! We should do it more often :)** _

 

Ryan stared at the text again, half paying attention. A bell rang and he looked up, all of a sudden expecting to see his passenger-turned-party-mate walk into the pizza place; instead, it was a delivery driver, who turned to Ryan as he entered the restaurant. The two nodded at each other in mute greetings. Broken out of his phone-psychosis, he turned off the screen before getting up from the two chair table. He took a step towards the counter and met the cashier as he brought him his spoils of war- Hawaiian with extra cheese. Offering a small smile and uttering a low thank you, Ryan left the cramped restaurant, dinner in tow.

 

It was the segment of day between afternoon and evening, where light kissed dark and the Sun fled into the horizon as the Moon rested high in the late, orange sky. Red bricks fought with paneling for supremacy over the commercial block, air conditioners watching from the windows above. It was early enough that local adolescents were still congregating in the doorways to the upstairs apartments, but late enough that mothers would soon be telling them to come in for dinner. Ryan smiled at the slice of 1985 that decorated his 2015 life, the warm air waltzing on his bare forearms while the humdrum of solidarity sang out from the radios of passing cars. Contentedness crept upon his lips.

 

Walking up the flight of stairs to his apartment, Ryan shook off the daylight and attempted to adapt to the concept of corporeal ceilings. He set the pizza down on his breakfast bar before sliding off his shoes and walking to the fridge. Grabbing a can of Diet Coke out of the box, he picked up his dinner and made his way over to the sofa, plopping the box down on the coffee table. Ryan let out a sigh as he sank into the cushiony couch.

 

“ _Hmph.”_

 

Uninterested in settling in to watch anything new, he retreated into an old episode of Futurama, Bender's cybertronic swearing acting as the soundtrack to his dinner. After two slices and a quarter of his Coke, Ryan found himself again thinking about the text message. Letting the show play on, he turned on his phone and looked at the message again.

 

_**Ray: Thanks for playing with us man, it was a good time! We should do it more often :)** _

 

Ryan felt a twinge of subtle, fruitless agony, a pinch of unnecessary guilt on the tissue of his heart. This semi-pain confused him- why did he feel so low about such a commendation? Ryan has always had difficulty with other people, introverted shyness as a child manifesting as social anxiety as he matured. He found it difficult to talk to people at times, to maintain eye contact, and crowds were sometimes a tad too overwhelming for him. But why was this slow build to a possible friendship reacting so negatively within him? The nonexistence of previous social trauma only furthered his curiosity. No one had hurt him in the past, he hadn't had a particularly awful experience with anyone that would garner such a crude physical response.

 

It wasn't as if Ryan didn't have friends, oh no, he just tended to have trouble finding someone who could meet his needs as a friend. Someone he could joke around with, work with, but still offered him the space he craved, still allowed him his solitude. It's why Ryan first applied to the cab company- he greatly appreciated time to himself, but did also desire some form of interaction with others. The job was the perfect medium of introversion and socialization, and through it, he was able to come to know Geoff and Jack. The two had been friends for about eight years before Ryan had met the pair, but they accepted Ryan into their bubble fairly quickly. They didn't pester him about his typical skipping of poker nights and pub crawls, and they still spoke to him sincerely and easily. Grateful as he was, Ryan still found he lacked both general motivation and ability to expand his social circle past the two, plus some acquaintances from work and locals in his neighbourhood.

 

Perhaps what partially petrified him about the concept of comradery with Ray was that he was so.... foreign. He wasn't a neighbour, he wasn't a coworker- he was a customer, if anything. The blurring of the borders between those outside and those inside his personal and professional lives felt odd to him.

 

But not bad. Despite the twisting and churning of his emotions, Ryan wasn't overly anxious about continuing to possibly connect further with Ray. The man had an air of comfortability and acceptance that Ryan appreciated, feeling more at ease with Ray than he did even with some of his fellow coworkers. A farm boy at heart, Ryan knew that to solve a problem -to mute the pain- perseverance was an integral part of the process. He would tough it out through the undeserved, dull pain. He looked again at the text message.

 

_**Ray: Thanks for playing with us man, it was a good time! We should do it more often :)** _

 

Ryan smiled, closed his phone, and sunk back further into the couch and relaxed. He refocused on the performance portion of his home-based dinner and a show.

 

“ _Oh yeah? Well you can bite my shiny metal ass!”._


End file.
